Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi
You'll be greeted at the Airport and transferred downtown to check into your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you may have time to explore a little of downtown and enjoy a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake. Visit the Water Puppet Theatre in the evening. Overnight in hotel, Overnight in hotel

Day 2: Halong Bay Cruise
We depart Hanoi and drive by private coach to Halong City, passing verdant farmland and witness the daily life of the local peasant farmers. We arrive in Halong at noon, board the boat and enjoy lunch, including fresh seafood, as we embark on a four-hour cruise into the Bay of the Descending Dragon. We stop to explore one of the many expansive grottoes here then continue cruising to a quiet lagoon. There will be lots of time for swimming and sun bathing. Later we enjoy a great sunset dinner and relax under the starlit sky before retiring to the comfort of the cabin. Overnight aboard the boat.

Day 3: Halong Bay Sea Kayaking
After breakfast we cruise to our island base camp. We have a basic skills lesson from our expert guide on paddling and safety, then start kayaking the Holy Bay. Exploring at our own pace, our guide will lead us to one of the many grottoes and you’ll paddle through the cave into its lush lagoon. Later, we stop to relax at some of the many secluded beaches then make your way back to base camp and enjoy a fresh water shower. We may have time to relax on the beach before dinner, and there’s always time for a swim! After a great dinner of Vietnamese food, lay back on the beach and enjoy the serenity of this peaceful place before heading to the cozy hut.

Day 4: Halong Bay to Hanoi
After breakfast at the base camp, we transfer back to the boat and continue cruising around the bay, passing Cua Van floating village to witness this unique way of life. At lunchtime, we arrive at the pier in Halong city where you’ll enjoy a lunch of Vietnamese food and live traditional music in a seaside restaurant. We return to Hanoi, arriving in the late afternoon. Overnight in hotel.

Day 5: City Tour of Hanoi
On this insightful day exploring Hanoi’s busy tree lined boulevards, we explore such interesting historic sites as The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum, One pillar pagoda and Temple of Literature. This amazing three-hour cyclo tour of the historic 36 street Old Quarter is both a shoppers and photographers delight as the streets are alive with stalls and vendors making and selling everything imaginable. In the evening, we transfer by minibus to the railway station to catch the night train to Lao Cai.

Day 6: Introducing Sapa
This morning we travel by minibus up the stunning mountain range sculpted with tiered rice terraces to the town of Sapa nestled at 1632 meters. After checking into the hotel we enjoy some free time to explore the town and its great market. After a local lunch, we take a three-hour trek down the valley to visit a H’mong hilltribe village. We return to Sapa and overnight in hotel.

Day 7: Trekking Sapa
This morning we trek for five hours to Lao Chai village to visit the local H'mong hill tribe then onto Ta Van village, home of the Dzao hill tribe. We take a break beside a stream and enjoy a picnic lunch. We return to Sapa town and are free at leisure to explore. Overnight in hotel.

Day 8: Sunday Hilltribe Markets
We start early (6.00am) today to Binh Lu market, the chance to see Lao, Lu, Black (flat) Dzao and Blue H’Mong minority peoples. We continue to Tam Duong Dat market, another amazing experience with Red H’Mong, Tay, Dzay seen here. We return to Sapa and enjoy a free afternoon exploring the town. Later we drive down to Lao Cai to catch the night train back to Hanoi.

Day 9: Exploring Hanoi
We arrive back in Hanoi at 4.30 am and check into the hotel. Enjoy this free day to relax and recover from the journey north. We leave lots of time to explore more of Hanoi and pick up some of those last minute souvenirs. Overnight in hotel.

Day 10: Hanoi to Mai Chau
Today, we drive to Mai Chau to the west of Hanoi. We arrive at our homestay in Mai Chau at and meet our White Thai hosts. Enjoy a home cooked lunch in their traditional house on stilts. In the afternoon, we trek for three hours around the beautiful Mai Chau valley to visit Muong and Thai minority villages. Overnight in homestay.

Day 11: Mai Chau to Ming Binh
In the morning, we drive to Co Luong for a boat trip on Ma river to Chieng village. We trek along the river for about three hours before crossing the river to return to Mai Chau for lunch. Enjoy the stunning scenery as we continue to Ninh Binh. Overnight in a local hotel.

Day 12: Hoa Lu – Kenh Ga
After breakfast, we drive through the heart of the famous inland Halong Bay with its towering Karst limestone formations and local villages. We arrive in Hoa Lu and visit the Dinh and Le temples before having a picnic lunch at the temple. Drive the back road to Kenh Ga where we take a boat trip on the Hoang Long river as it winds through verdant rice fields and karst limestone mountains to see Kenh Ga floating village. Arrive in Nho Quan where we pick up the bus for the journey back to Hanoi. Overnight in hotel.

Day 13: Free day in Hanoi
You’ll welcome this free day to relax and recover from you journey to Mai Chau. We’ve seen a lot, it’s a nice time to reflect and enjoy the final moments in northern Vietnam. Lots of time to explore more of Hanoi and enjoy the great wining and dining. Overnight at hotel.

Day 14: Departure from Hanoi
Today, we'll take you from the hotel out to the airport to see you safely on your journey home!